Let's be honest: your December doesn't really start until you see Chevy Chase staple a sleeve to his roof. It's been over 35 years. Yet, somehow, we’re still obsessed. We watch the Griswolds fail every single year because their chaos feels more like real life than any Hallmark movie ever could. But have you looked at the cast of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation lately?
A lot has changed since 1989. Some of these actors became the biggest stars on the planet. Others basically vanished into the Tennessee woods or ended up in some pretty wild legal battles. If you’re sitting there wondering where Rusty went or why Aunt Bethany’s voice sounds so familiar, you’re in the right place.
Chevy Chase: The Legend and the 2026 Comeback
Chevy Chase is 82 now. Think about that for a second. The man who defined "slapstick dad" for an entire generation is officially an octogenarian. For a long time, the narrative around Chevy was... well, let’s just say it wasn't great. Reports of him being "difficult" on the set of Community and his public feuds with basically everyone made him a bit of a Hollywood pariah.
But 2026 is actually a massive year for him. On New Year’s Day 2026, CNN premiered a documentary called I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not. It’s a raw look at his life. The film doesn't sugarcoat anything—it even digs into why almost nobody from the Community cast would agree to be interviewed for it. Despite the friction, Chevy remains the heartbeat of the cast of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. He still tours the country for Q&A screenings of the movie, and honestly, fans still show up in droves.
He recently admitted in the doc that leaving Saturday Night Live back in the 70s was a "mistake." It’s a rare moment of vulnerability from a guy who usually hides behind a sarcastic bit.
Beverly D’Angelo: The Woman Who Kept It Together
Ellen Griswold is the unsung hero of the franchise. While Clark is hallucinating about pool models, Ellen is making sure the house doesn't actually burn down. Beverly D’Angelo is 74 now, and she’s still absolutely killing it.
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Funny enough, she recently made headlines in early 2026 for a "no regrets" interview where she joked that she should have done more nudity in her younger years. She’s always been refreshingly blunt. In 2025, she reunited with the core cast of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation at Rhode Island Comic Con, and the photos went viral because she and Chevy still have that "old married couple" energy.
You might have spotted her recently in a 2025 holiday campaign for Wyndham Hotels, basically playing a modern version of Ellen Griswold trying to survive the holidays. She’s also starring in a new thriller called Sleepwalker with Hayden Panettiere. She never stopped working.
The Kids: From "The Griswold Curse" to Superstardom
One of the weirdest things about the Vacation movies is that the kids change every single time. It’s a running gag that actually worked out for the 1989 version because they accidentally cast two future icons.
Johnny Galecki (Rusty)
Before he was Leonard on The Big Bang Theory, he was the kid trying to help Clark with the 25,000 Italian imported twinkle lights. Johnny Galecki is a very different guy today. He basically retired from acting after Big Bang ended. He moved to Nashville, bought 30 acres of land, and stays out of the spotlight.
He’s married to Morgan Galecki now, and they just had a daughter in 2024. If you’re looking for him on a red carpet, don't hold your breath. He told Architectural Digest recently that he never really felt like he fit in Los Angeles. He’s living the quiet life, though he did voice a character in a holiday animated movie a few years back.
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Juliette Lewis (Audrey)
Audrey Griswold grew up to be one of the most respected actresses in the business. Juliette Lewis is a force of nature. From her Oscar-nominated turn in Cape Fear to her recent massive success in Yellowjackets, she’s stayed relevant in a way most child actors can’t.
In 2026, she’s back on the big screen in a film called By Design. She also spends a lot of her time fronting her rock band, Juliette and the Licks. She’s the exact opposite of the "frozen" Audrey we see on screen.
Cousin Eddie: The Randy Quaid Mystery
We have to talk about Randy Quaid. You can't discuss the cast of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation without Cousin Eddie. The "shitter's full" line is arguably the most quoted bit in holiday cinema history.
Randy’s life off-screen has been... complicated. There were the years in Canada, the "Star Whackers" conspiracy theories, and the legal issues. For a long time, it seemed like he’d never act again. However, he actually did a movie with Chevy Chase recently called The Christmas Letter. It was a low-budget holiday flick, but seeing Eddie and Clark back together was a fever dream for fans.
As of 2026, he’s still a bit of a wild card. He was supposed to appear at a Comic-Con in Tampa recently but had to cancel due to "scheduling conflicts." He’s active on social media, often sharing very vocal political opinions, and remains one of the most polarizing figures in the cast.
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The Relatives: Legends We’ve Lost
The 1989 film was packed with old-school Hollywood royalty. It’s sad to realize how many are gone now.
- Mae Questel (Aunt Bethany): This was her final film. Before she was the senile aunt wrapping up her cat, she was the original voice of Betty Boop and Olive Oyl back in the 1930s. She passed in 1998.
- William Hickey (Uncle Lewis): The guy who accidentally burned the tree down was an Oscar nominee. He died in 1997.
- John Randolph and Diane Ladd: Playing Clark’s parents. Diane Ladd is actually still with us! She turned 89 in late 2024 and is still acting.
- E.G. Marshall and Doris Roberts: Ellen’s parents. Doris Roberts, of course, went on to be the legendary Marie Barone on Everybody Loves Raymond before passing in 2016.
Why We’re Still Obsessed in 2026
The reason the cast of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation stays in the Google "Discover" feed every December is simple: the movie is a miracle. It was directed by Jeremiah Chechik, who had never directed a comedy before. It had a massive $27 million budget for 1989. There were earthquakes on set—the scene where Aunt Bethany walks through the door actually has a slight camera shake because a minor tremor hit Los Angeles at that exact second.
It’s also the only Vacation movie where the calendar never actually hits the holiday. The whole thing ends on Christmas Eve.
Actionable Insights for the Ultimate Rewatch
If you’re planning your annual viewing, here’s how to spot the stuff most people miss:
- Watch the neighbors' house: The home belonging to the snooty Todd and Margo is actually the same house used as Roger Murtaugh's home in Lethal Weapon. It’s all on the Warner Bros. backlot.
- Look at the eyes: In the scene where the squirrel jumps out of the tree, that’s not a puppet. Well, sometimes it is, but they actually used a real, trained squirrel. It didn't always go well.
- Check the "Old Movies" on TV: The film Clark is watching in the attic isn't a random clip. It’s actual home movie footage of Chevy Chase’s real-life childhood.
The cast of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation succeeded because they didn't play it like a cartoon. They played it like a family on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Whether it’s Johnny Galecki’s quiet Nashville life or Chevy’s 2026 documentary redemption arc, these actors gave us something that doesn't age.
If you want to dive deeper, go find the 2026 CNN documentary. It’s the closest thing to a "final word" on the man who gave us Clark Griswold. It’s messy, it’s a little sad, but it’s real—just like a Griswold Christmas.